Fire-preventing attachment for moving-picture machines.



1.' L.&|.1. ULMER. F'IRE PBEVENTING ATTACHMENT FOR MOVTNGPICTURE MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED' MAY 22. 1917.

1,250,724. Paptedee. "18, 1917.

A TTORNEYS v shutter device,

JACOB L. ULMER AND IRVIN JI ULMER,

Param price,

OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented De'., 18, 1917.

Application led May 22, 191,7. Serial No. 170,227.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JACOB IRvIN J; ULMER, citizens of the United States, and residents of Louisville, in the county l"of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and -improved Fire- Preventing Attachment for Moving-Picture Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to moving picture machines, and more particularly/to a fire preventing attachment therefor, so that when the iilm breaks the electric power will be automatically cut oif from the machine.

The invention has for its general objects to improve and simplify the construction and operation of devices of this character so as to be reliable and efficient in use, comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and apply, and so designed as to immediately open the electric circuit when the film breaks. l

A more specific object of the inventionis the provision of a Shutter device .for the hood of the lamp house of the moving picture machine, vwhich device is normally held open by a member having a running-contact with the lm, and when the Elm breaks the member permits the shutter device to automatically close, and in closing, the said device throws open the switch of the electric circuit of the moving picture machine, the switch, and lm-engaging member forming an attachment which can be readily applied to machines already in use.

' With such objects inv view,.` and others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth with par' ticularity in the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, v

Figure 1 is a side view with portions in section of the attachment applied to a moving picture machine with the parts in nor- L. ULMER and mal condition;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the lm broken and the attachment asvhaving opcrateri;v

Fig. 3 is a front view ofv the shutter device;

Fig. 1- is a plan view of the shutter and the film-engaging member; and

' Fig. 5 is a detail view of the support for the film-engaging member.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the lamp house of a moving picture machine, B, B the magazines, 1 the film therein, and 2 the hood of the lamp house. The attachment comprises a shutter device C, a film-enga ging member D connected with the shutter` device and normally engaging the film, a support E for the member D, and a'. switch F for the electric circuit of the moving picture machine.

The shutter device C comprises a plate 3 which is connected by a hingel el to the bottom of the hood 2, and on the plate 3 is a member 5 which carries a weight 6, so that when the shutter device is unrestrained it .will assume a vertical position directly in front of the hood and close the same, as shown in Fig. 2. rl`he shutter device has a lug 7 projecting therefrom and which is provided with apin 8 which serves to conneet the member Dwith the shutter device.

This member D is in the form of a rod having its end 9 bent into a hook which engages the pin 8, and the opposite end of the ro carries a yoke 10 in which isA rotatably mounted a. wheel 11 provided with Vpin teeth 12 that engage in the usual rows lof perforations of the film 1. Theparts are so proportioned and arranged that whenthe film 1 is intact,'the member D is held to one side of a position which it would occupy if freed, and consequently whenI the film breaks, the shutter device C and .member D will automatically shift from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2.

The member D is movably supported by riding on a grooved pulley 13 disposed in a frame 14 which is slidable between posts 15 rising from the base plate 16. Clamps 17 on the frame 14 engage the `posts 15 to hold the frame and pulley 13 in proper position of adjustment.

The electric circuit 19 of the moving picture machine is controlled by the switchF, which is of any suitable construction and embodies a movable member or contact 20, so disposed with respect to the path of the weight `6 thatras the latter descends it 4will to closed the same to disengage the fixed contacts 21 ofthe switch, such switch .contacts beingarranged in a housing 22 which is tastened to the base plate 16. It will thusbeseen that when the film breaks, two things' occur, namely, the moving of the shutter device C position and the openingof the switch I?. v l

From the foregoing descriptin ytaken in connection'with the accompanying drawing,

the advantages of thev construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while wehave described. the principle of operation, to-

gether with the attachment which we now Patent:

l. In a moving picture machine, the'combination of a lamphouse having a hood, a magazine having vhlm-carrying means, la movable shutter for' the hood, a member operatively connected with the shutter and with the film in` the magazine, wherebyl thelatter holds the shutter open, and an .electric switch forthe moving picture machine.

circuit, said switch including a member a-rranged to be moved to open-circuit position by the closing of the shutter.

2. In a moving picture machine, the com- Lemma bination of a lampihouse' having a hood, a

. pivoted shutter thereon having a weighted fm'ember, a switch controlling 'the circuit of `l"the moving picture machine, said switch in- 1 cluding a member arranged to be hit by the weighted member of the shutter to open circuit the switch when the shutter closes, a` l member operatively connected with the shutter, a magazine having a film and with lwhich themember has a` running engage-v ment, and a support for the'\last-mentioned member. i

3. In a moving picture machine, the combination of a hood, a shutter therefor, a ilm," a longitudinally movable, rigid member pivotally connected with the shutter and y provided withtoothed wheels'having a running engagement with the lilm, whereby the latter operates through the member to hold they shutter open, and an adjustable support for, the saidmember at a point` intermediv ate its ends.

l 4. In a moving picture machine the combination of a hood, a shutter therefor, a lm, a member pivotally connected with the shutter and provided with ltoothed wheels hav ing a running engagement with the lm, whereby the latter operates throughthe member to hold the shutter open, an adjustable support for the said member at a point intermediate fits ends, and a switch arranged to automatically open when the film breaks and permit the member and shutter to move,

JACOB L. ULMER. IRVIN .Il ULMER. 

